AIR TRANSPORT
CERTIFICATION PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC
Boeing seeks extended 777 ETOPS
Four-engined aircraft such as the Airbus A340 could be dragged into the debate over long range operations
Boeing is pushing to have its
new ultra-long-range 777-200/300
derivatives cleared for at least
240min extended twin-engine
operations (ETOPS). At the same
time it is lobbying for a standard
set of long range operations
(LROPS) rules that also apply to
four-engined aircraft such as the
rival Airbus A340-500/600.
The 777 is currently cleared for
180min ETOPS on most routes,
including the new services over
the North Pole. The US Federal
Aviation Administration last year
granted some operators of 777s on
North Pacific routes a 15% exten
sion to 207min in the event that
weather or volcanic activity forced
FLEET ACQUISITION
JAL set to
order DC-10
replacement
Japan Airlines (JAL) is expected
to announce an order at the
Paris air show for a mix of Boe
ing 767s and 777s to replace its
15 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-
40s, industry sources say.
"We are close to deciding on
replacements for our DC-10s,
which we are phasing out," says
JAL. The airline declined to com
ment on whether an order would
be announced at the show.
JAL ordered eight 777-
200ER.S and three 767-300EP.S
in late 2000 as part of a deal
with Boeing to trade back 10
MD-11s. It chose the General
Electric GE90 to power the 777s,
having ordered eight Longer
Range 777-300s in March last
year, for which the GE engine is
the exclusive powerplant.
The carrier had previously
used Pratt & Whitney PW4000
engines to power its 777s. JAL's
earliest 767s are equipped with
Pratt & Whitney JT9Ds but the
airline later switched to the GE
CF6-80C2.
JAL's DC10-40s are all more
than 20 years old.
the closure of some of six desig
nated alternate airports in Russia,
the Aleutians or Alaska.
There remain large areas of the
Indian Ocean, South Atlantic and
Pacific which are off limits to the
777. "The aircraft is at a point
where we would like to see an
increase in diversion time. We're
structuring testing to meet future
requirements for unlimited appr
oval and would hope to have 777X
operational approval for at least
240min," says Chet Ekstrand,
Boeing ETOPS vice president.
Boeing adds it would "feel more
comfortable" with an increase in
ETOPS clearance for trans-Polar
routes, which are being used by
JAT Yugoslav Airlines is aiming to
have around around half of its
operational fleet on lease to other
carriers this year. The airline is
undertaking a major refurbishment
of its aircraft, and may return more
to service to meet leasing demand.
Ten of the airliners JAT holds in
an airworthy condition are ex
pected to be placed with other air
lines on wet or ACMI (aircraft,
crew, maintenance and insurance)
leases. Target markets are primarily
regions where the latest noise legis
lation is not enforced, such as
Africa, and where JAT's non-
hushkitted Boeing 727-200s and
McDonnell Douglas DC-9s can fly.
Goran Crljen, JAT's director
operations, fleet and services mar
keting, says talks are taking place to
lease Boeing 727-200s and 737-
300s to operators in Mozambique,
Senegal, Tanzania and Tunisia, as
well as one 737 to be "based in
Budapest". In Europe, one of two
JAT ATR 72s fly for Air Srpska while
MAT Macedonian Airlines is oper
ating two Boeing 737-300s and two
Stage 3 hush-kitted DC-9-30s.
Nigerian operator Bellview is
leasing two DC-9-30s for a third
year in a deal that has netted the
Yugoslav carrier $14.5 million over
several 777 operators, such as
Continental Airlines. This would
ease the problem created by a lack
of reliable data for forecasting
weather at any of the diversion air
fields in the Russian Far East.
The FAA aviation rulemaking
advisory committee (ARAC) was
tasked last June with formalising
ETOPS regulations. Boeing would
like to see the committee eliminate
time restrictions on the 777, and to
have LROPS rules governing four-
engined aircraft brought in line
with twin-engine jets. The ARAC is
due to conclude its work before the
end of the month.
"We feel it's time to level the
playing field between the twin-
28 months. Another DC-9 is
already in service with fellow
Nigerian carrier Sosoliso Airlines,
which started operations last year
using a 727-200 also leased from
JAT. Crljen says that Nigerian oper
ators have requested more DC-9s.
However, with no more aircraft
readily available, JAT is considering
returning to service some DC-9s
which are stored in Belgrade.
The airline is also in discussions
about placing its McDonnell
Douglas DC-10-30 on an initial
four-month ACMI lease with
Nigeria Airways to operate on
and quad-engine aircraft," says
Ekstrand. "I believe the majority of
people involved in ARAC accept
that the 777 is as safe as any
long-range aircraft operating today.
We feel planning requirements for
fuel and alternative airports needs
to be consistent for all aircraft."
Boeing claims only one 777
engine has been shut down during
the ETOPS part of a flight between
1995 and March 2000, and that the
aircraft demonstrated a lower air
turnback and diversion rate than
the A340 during last year. The com
pany adds that only twin jet aircraft
are required to carry enough cargo
hold fire suppressant for the maxi
mum diversion time plus 15min.
Lagos-London-New York flights.
Company sources also say that
Mongolian start-up Justice has
shown interest in Boeing 737 and
ATR aircraft.
Ahead of the planned fleet
renewal with Airbus narrowbodies,
JAT is gradually upgrading its fleet.
One DC-9 has already been
completely refurbished, and the
materials for two more DC-9s and
the whole 737-300 fleet was
purchased recently.
Work on the DC-9s is about to
start at JAT's technical department
in Belgrade.
FLEET DEVELOPMENT IGOR SALINGER / BELGRADE
JAT chases lease market in Africa
JAT has placed two DC-9s with MAT, and is dicussing a lease of its DC-10
26 19-25 JUNE 2001 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com